Last Updated: October 22, 2025
You probably know that Costa Rica has two distinct seasons, dry season and rainy season. But what is rainy season really like? After living in Costa Rica for more than a decade, we can say that rainy season is our favorite time of year. Everything is lush and green, it’s cooler, and less busy. If you’re visiting during these wetter months, you can still have an amazing time with some careful planning. In this post, we’ll let you know what to expect for weather during the rainy season in Costa Rica.
Essential Rainy Season Resources
Planning a trip during Costa Rica’s green season? These guides will help:
- Why You Should Visit Costa Rica in Rainy Season – Discover the advantages of traveling during the wetter months, from fewer crowds to lower prices
- Rainy Season Itinerary: Coast to Coast – A complete 12-day itinerary designed specifically for rainy season travel
- Driving in the Rainy Season – Precautions to take and what to watch out for
Background on Rainy Season
Costa Rica may be a small country, but it has over 30 microclimates. This means that the weather varies a lot. You can be in one town in a heavy rainstorm, then drive 20 minutes and be under clear blue skies.
Costa Rica is in the tropics, so temperatures remain pleasant year-round. The climate and topography varies a lot, though, which can make for very different weather in different regions.
The country is divided by towering mountains, which separate the Pacific and Caribbean slopes. In this mixed topography, you can find cool cloud forest, steamy rainforest, arid tropical dry forest, humid mangrove, and many more ecosystems.
Below, we will give general information on the typical rainy season weather patterns. Keep in mind that it can be hard to make generalizations, as some areas differ from the general trends.
Note: We are talking here primarily about the Pacific coast and Pacific slope (inland areas with weather dominated by the Pacific Ocean). The weather on the Caribbean coast and Caribbean slope is a lot different. We’ll cover that separately below.
For information on temperatures, forecast reliability, what it’s like during dry season, and charts with rainfall data, check out our detailed guide, Weather in Costa Rica: What You Need to Know.
Early Rainy Season – May, June, July
Dry season typically runs from December to the end of April. During these months, much of the country receives little to no rain.
In mid-April, the first rains typically begin along the Pacific coast.
It may rain only a handful of times between mid-April and May, but the forest will start to green up again. Many regions of the country will be dry and barren since they haven’t received much, if any, rainfall since December. It can be especially dry in northern Guanacaste (places like Tamarindo, Flamingo, Conchal, Playa Hermosa, Playas del Coco, Papagayo Peninsula).
In early May through June, the weather is still really nice along the Pacific coast.
Usually mornings are warm and sunny, with showers in the afternoon or evening as the heat builds. These are typically downpour-type tropical rains or thunderstorms that last an hour or two. However, there can be some days where the sky is overcast or rain is more intermittent.
In late June/early July, Costa Rica typically experiences what’s called a veranillo or mini-summer. The country tends to see less rain during this time and more sun. Keep in mind, though, that this is when Costa Rican schools are out for mid-year break and locals take time off. So beach towns can be busier.
Mid-Rainy Season – August to Mid-September
Early to mid-August usually has fairly good weather along the Pacific coast. Rain may be increasing some, but there are parts of the day that are sunny and dry.
Mid-August through mid-September can be more rainy; it depends on the year.
We often travel to Tamarindo and other towns in northern Guanacaste in mid-September when our kids have school vacation, and have had excellent weather.
One year when we visited Tamarindo in late August, it was quite rainy. We had a couple of days of sun, and one day out of the four days we were there was sort of a washout.
In the central Pacific, in places like Jaco and Manuel Antonio, the weather is usually fairly good during this time too.
Peak Rainy Season – October to Mid-November
Typically, the rainiest month on the Pacific coast is October. That doesn’t mean it rains all day, every day. There are still nice days with not too much rain, but they are less common.
Ondas or tropical waves are common during this time and into November.
These are weather systems that bring large amounts of rain and sometimes thunderstorms. They can last anywhere from one to several days.
Costa Rica doesn’t really have hurricanes (there has only been one to hit the country directly). But it is affected by them since they sometimes pass close by.
Some of the most devastating hurricanes to affect Costa Rica recently have been Eta (October 31-November 14, 2020), Nate (October 4-11, 2017), and Otto (November 17-26, 2016).
We don’t recommend October for visiting the Pacific coast since it can be hard to fit in activities with the frequent rains. During heavy rainy, roads also can get washed out, making it more difficult to get around. Read our post on Driving in the Rainy Season for more information.
Early-to-mid November still can be rainy. It really varies by year. In recent years, we have been having quite a bit of rain in mid-November, at least where we have lived in the central and southern Pacific coast.
Transition Time – Late November to Early December
By late November, the rain tends to taper off along much of the Pacific coast. As we said above, though, we did have a big hurricane in late November in recent years. November 2024 was also very rainy.
In early December, every year, it is like a switch is flipped and the weather turns from humid and unstable to drier with sunny skies.
The exact timing of when this happens varies by region, but generally it is in the first or second week of December. There may be some rain during this time, but it’s usually just a short burst. This can be a nice time to visit because tourism is lower. There’s a peak around Thanksgiving in the United States and then there’s a break until it gets busy for Christmas and New Years.
Regional Weather
Pacific Coast
The weather varies a lot as you go up and down the Pacific coast.
Looking at a map, the northernmost region, Guanacaste Province, is the driest area.
It receives little to no rain during the dry months and often gets its first significant rains of rainy season later in May. The climate is very hot and dry in general. You’ll notice that the forest here is different than in wetter areas. The tropical dry forest is adapted to long stretches without water.
Popular destinations in the Guanacaste region are Tamarindo, Flamingo, Potrero, Playa Hermosa, Playas del Coco, the Papagayo, Nosara, and Samara.
As you go down the Pacific coast, the climate becomes wetter. The Nicoya Peninsula (Montezuma, Santa Teresa) and central Pacific coast (Jaco, Manuel Antonio) receive a little more rain. The forest here is actually a mix of tropical dry forest and tropical rainforest. This makes sense since it is a transition area in terms of climate.
South of Manuel Antonio is the southern Pacific coast.
This region gets the most rain and has the longest rainy season. It is still a nice place to visit, though, during non-peak rainy season. We lived in this area for several years and loved the climate. Major towns in this region are Dominical and Uvita as well as Puerto Jimenez and Drake Bay on the Osa Peninsula.
Inland Areas
Generalizing about the weather in inland areas is tough because it varies a lot. The mountainous terrain creates many microclimates, which can cause big differences in rainfall from town to town. We’ll talk about three major inland destinations below.
San Jose in Costa Rica’s Central Valley follows a similar wet and dry pattern as the Pacific coast; however, the rains can be more intense. For example, if early rainy season brings some short downpours to the beach areas, San Jose may get more substantial rains that last several hours.
Monteverde is high altitude and gets a lot of rain year-round. Dry season or early to mid-rainy season is usually a good time to visit.
La Fortuna/Arenal Volcano has its own unique weather patterns and rain is more frequent. The typical dry season months like December and January can be rainy there. While September and October can be a great time to see the volcano.
Caribbean Coast
The Caribbean coast (Tortuguero, Cahuita, and Puerto Viejo) has completely different weather from the Pacific slope.
There aren’t really any bad times to visit. The Caribbean receives similar amounts of rain by month year-round. Since the rain is spread out, it usually doesn’t feel like it’s rainy all the time at any given point. Unless, of course, there is a tropical storm.
July does tend to receive the most rainfall by number of days and precipitation amount, if you are looking at that month.
September and October receive the least rain by far. This makes it a great time to visit the Caribbean coast. These months are peak rainy season on the Pacific coast, so the timing is perfect. See our sample itinerary, Rainy Season Itinerary: Coast to Coast, for how to incorporate a visit to the Caribbean side on your visit.
Weather Charts
For more information on Costa Rica’s weather, see our post Weather in Costa Rica: What You Need to Know.
We give some graphs that show, for each region, precipitation by month and number of days with rainfall. This can help with your planning if you’re trying to decide which month to travel to a certain area.
Conclusion
We hope this post gives you a better idea of what to expect for weather during rainy season in Costa Rica. Rainy season can be a wonderful time to travel. With fewer visitors, lush forest, and still plenty of sun and blue skies, it offers a lot more than many people realize.
Pin It for Later
Have a question about visiting during the rainy season in Costa Rica? Ask us below.
Looking for more information to plan your trip to Costa Rica? Check out these posts:
Why You Should Visit Costa Rica in Rainy Season – Learn about attractions and activities that are better with more rain. Also covers some disadvantages of visiting during rainy season.
Packing for Costa Rica: The Essentials – Know what gear and clothing to bring for those wetter months.
Driving in Costa Rica – If you’re thinking of renting a car, check out our article for info on road conditions and what to expect.
Heat and Humidity in Costa Rica – Find out how temperature and humidity changes by elevation and region in Costa Rica.
What It’s Like to Live in Costa Rica During Rainy Season – Considering a move? Get a realistic perspective on daily life during the wetter months, from power outages to lush green landscapes.
Practical Travel – Get more basic travel info on safety, transportation, currency, using credit cards, and the best restaurants.
hi we are first time visitors to Costa Rica and really want to go to Drake Bay/Osa. Problem is that we are there from mid July. Is it a bad idea?
From SJO to Drake Bay, is it better to drive to Sierpe and then boat, or fly domestic? Many thanks.
Hi Annie, as we mention in this post, sometimes early July can be a bit more dry and that can sometimes carry on later in the month too, it depends on the year. This year they are calling for drier conditions overall because of El Nino. For your other question, I think you already saw our Domestic Flights post and made a comment there.
Hi there. I just came across this article. We have a trip booked to Costa Rica in mid-November of this year (Nov 8-15). We will have three nights in La Fortuna and four nights in Manuel Antonio. We’re going to celebrate my son’s birthday and also hotel prices were a bit cheaper in November and I knew it was rainy season when we booked, but this article has me quite concerned. Are we crazy for going then? Can we still enjoy ourselves, even with the rain? One of our hotels has a 50% nonrefundable deposit, so canceling would cost us a considerable amount of money, but I also don’t want our trip to be ruined. Not sure what to do. Thanks!
Hi Cassi, In mid-November, we are starting to transition to the dry season, but some years we do get quite a bit of rain. It depends on the current weather patterns. La Fortuna is a good option because it has different weather patterns and November is usually pretty nice there. Manuel Antonio is on the Pacific coast so it can be rainy in November, but it’s not usually all day type rain that time of year. As long as there isn’t a big weather system coming through (called an onda/tropical wave), it’s usually nice weather with some rain in the afternoon or evening. Here’s a link to a Costa Rica weather website you can use to check current info. They also give information from Costa Rica’s National Meteorological Institute, which shares its predictions about what this year’s rainy season will be like (we just officially entered rainy season for the year). So I wouldn’t cancel your trip! Just plan your activities in the morning and you should be OK.
Great info about rainfall, but how do we find out what the temperatures are likely to be in those regions during those rainy periods? I would imagine the humidity will be very high, but that might not be so bad if the temps are not in the 90’s. We’re used to baking in January in Guanacaste, so I’d love to find some cooler temps during the rainy season.
Hi Geoff, Yes, temperatures are slightly cooler all around the country during rainy season. It’s still very warm along the coast, though (80s), just not intense heat. In our opinion, the climate is much nicer at the beach in rainy season.
Thank you, Jenn & Matt! Your posts are so incredibly helpful, and priceless! We want to visit Nosara or Santa Teresa (Play Hermosa) in the last week of July / first week of August. We are curious how they might compare … amount of rain, surf conditions, getting around, restaurants, and general vibes. Both seem amazing but we need to choose 🙂 Would love to hear your thoughts!
Hi Viki, Glad our posts have been helpful! Nosara and Santa Teresa will be similar in late July/early August in terms of rain, surf conditions, and how busy it is. Both are very popular destinations now. It won’t be super busy when you’re here but that time of year is moderately busy. Restaurants and everything will be open as normal. Businesses don’t start closing/taking vacation for the season until Sept/October and many of them stay open then anyway. Both will be a little muddy on the dirt roads so if you won’t have a vehicle, it would be best to stay in the main area of town. Hope that helps!
hi- I have enjoyed your informative posts. My husband and I are considering spending May – September somewhere in the central valley with access to San Jose. We would like to be within about a 45 min drive of San Jose and to be in a smaller city that still has some arts and music.. Any suggestions for where to spend 3-4 months? What are the rains like in this region in September? We could skip September if it would be a wash (pun intended) 🙂
Hi Becca, September can be pretty rainy in the Central Valley but it depends on the year. We are supposed to be entering a La Nina weather phenomenon, where it’s supposed to be rainier. But who knows. Even then, it’s usually still worth coming in September. It’s always warm!
For places to stay, you should look at Atenas or Grecia. We also recently stayed in Ciudad Colon just outside Santa Ana and loved it. We’ll have a post about it soon. In the meantime, you could look at our Facebook page to get a feel for it. We have some recent posts about what we did there.
If you’d like to talk more specifics about your extended visit, feel free to reach out through our Video Chat Service. We talk to a lot of people doing similar things.
Hi Jenn and Matt,
I have been reading through the comments and I am not feeling so confident on what I am receiving when reading about visits in May! We can get such a good price at the hotel we are planning to stay at if we wait until May 1. The hotel is located very close to Quepos or a place I am seeing that is called Quepos point. I am obviously not wanting to get washed out during this time, but I would love for us to have some more change in our pockets to not worry at all about eating out and all the activities as well as potentially staying longer! What is your opinion on the Quepos area during the beginning of May. Thanks so much!
Hi Bailey, The weather has been really strange lately. Normally, May can be rainy in Quepos, but lately, it has been a lot less so. We are supposed to be in a dry weather pattern through next year so it is likely to keep up. Of course, no guarantees! Hope that helps.
Thank you very much for your response to my question! We will book the trip accordingly. Plus we feel like more days in Costa Rica will be better instead of fewer days during high time.
Hi there!
Love your page. My boyfriend and I would love to come to CR. The only thing is that it would be from 23 september till 13 october.
We’re going for the flora and fauna, see babyturtles hatching, hike, chill at the beach, climb a vulcano and experience the jungle. Hopefully a humpback whale. But… it’s rainy season. And i got the feeling that the south side of the caribbean won’t be it for us for 3 weeks straight. Are we making a mistake by going, should we postpone? Or should we go to the pacific first, and as soon as october starts head to the caribbean?
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Nomi, You can still have a great trip in September/October. I would do the Pacific first to maximize your chance of having good weather. The Caribbean coast is usually nice in October. Arenal also has different weather and is usually decent that time of year so be sure to build in some time there. I would avoid the southern Pacific coast as it’s the rainiest region.
Hi Jen and Matt, we are thinking of going to Monteverde and Tortuguero from late July to mid August. We are very worried about the weather though. Do you think it would still be okay to visit? Does it rain all day in those areas or is it more like a shorter torrential downpour and then dry again? Thanks!
Hi Jon, Monteverde is rainier in general but usually still has plenty of sun in July. August could be rainier (this year has not been rainy at all so far so not totally sure what August will be like). Tortuguero has different weather patterns and is usually okay in July and August. It is another area that typically gets a decent amount of rain, though. In general, the type of rain we get is downpour type rain that lasts 30 min-a couple of hours max.
Thank you so much for your detailed reply. We’ll take it into account once we book
Thank you so much for your response. I just finished reading the posts you linked to — great information! I really appreciate your thoughts on the night tour, too. I think we’ll book one at Mistico and just hope it doesn’t rain too much! Then, on a different day, we’ll probably do Sky Adventures with the bridges and zipline. Still trying to decide on a hot springs and grateful for the suggestions. Thanks again!
Hello. I would like to take my wife to La Fortuna in either 1st week of September or a week before Christmas. I think the prices will be better in September, just not sure about the weather. Any advice would be great. Thanks!
Hi Gary, Usually the first week of September is fine weather wise, with some sunny days still. Just avoid the southern Pacific coast, which typically gets more rain.
Hi
I’m looking to coming to Costa Rica mid August with my two boys. Is this a really bad time to visit? I’m worried it will be a washout. Will things be open. Should be follow your rainy season tour for the best weather?
Hi Yvonne, It really depends where you are in the country how rainy it will be, but most areas are not a washout in mid August. Yes, if you follow our rainy season itinerary, that would be a good option. Just avoid the southern Pacific coast and Osa Peninsula that time of year.
Hello! This is a great page—thank you! We are visiting in late May and starting in Fortuna. I have three questions—
1) i thought about booking a night tour at Mistico Park, but I don’t want to spend the money, if it’ll likely rain at night. I’ve heard that it rains most afternoons/evenings in that area in May and that the animals aren’t really easy to see when it rains, since they go and hide. Should I not book an evening tour for these reasons? Or have I been misinformed?
2) I have booked a day at Sky Adventures for zip lining and hanging bridges, but I’ve heard they only have a couple of bridges. Would you recommend doing Mistico bridges as well, or are both experiences about the same?
3) We’d like to visit hot springs for a day, but Tabacon is too expensive. Are there other good hot springs in the area that have more reasonably priced day passes?
Appreciate any help! Thank you
Hi Chrys, Glad our site has been helpful! Here are some thoughts on your questions:
1. It can be rainy in La Fortuna at night in May but night tours can still be fun in wet weather. We have done them in the rain and it’s a great time to see frogs. You can still see a lot.
2. Sky Adventures has 5 hanging bridges. You should read our detailed post, Hanging Bridges in Costa Rica, which compares Sky and Mistico. They are different experiences for sure.
3. Ecotermales is a great alternative to Tabacon (see our full writeup here). People like Paradise Hot Springs too, which is more basic but still nice and even less expensive.
Hi! I’m looking at taking my honey moon in the Santa Teresa, Puntarenas Province area from 10/30-11/4, would this be an ok time or should we steer clear??
Hi Hayley, Usually the entire Pacific slope of Costa Rica, including Santa Teresa, is fairly rainy in late October/early November so it may be best to go somewhere else or delay the trip until early December or later.
Hi Jenn and Matt, I am planning a trip to Costa Rica for my boyfriends 30th. We ar roll sing on going from Nov 4th to the 11th. Will this be a bad time? After reading your post it seems like maybe the carribean coast might be ok. We are adventurous and don’t want to get stuck in our hotel room.
Hi Jennifer, Yes, the Caribbean coast typically has the best weather in early November. The northern and central Pacific coast can be okay too then; just depends on the year.
Hi Jenn and Matt, my husband and I are looking to visit Costa rica for the first time in celebration of my birthday from Sept 4 to September 10. We could extend to the 12th if there is enough to keep us engaged. re you able to help us plan an interesting but relaxing trip? Finding your page is wonderful.
Hi Shirley, We don’t do custom itinerary planning anymore but could definitely help you figure out an itinerary and answer any initial questions you have through our video chat service. Through that, we talk to you for 1 hour for $100. We can give specific hotel recommendations for you to book. Then what a lot of people have been doing is coming back to us after they have their hotels booked to have us help with activities through our tour booking service. Feel free to reach out through our video chat service page if you’re interested in this. Thanks!
We are planning to be in Costa Rica end of October until mid-November but by the sounds of things, this might not be a good idea. We are traveling for 3 months in the region, on our way home (moving back to Australia) so location-wise for us, this is why we are considering it. Is it a waste of time for a snorkeling and surfing family to be here then?
Hi Shannon, The Caribbean coast has good weather until at least early November. It is a good destination for snorkeling and surfing so we’d have a look at Puerto Viejo de Talamanca or Cahuita, a smaller town just north.
Hi Jenn and Matt! OMG you guys have SAVED our Costa Rica planning by miles!!! THANK YOU for being such an incredible source of information for all of us!
I purchased your book on Amazon/Kindle and ripped through it- amazing info! We have 9 nights in CR and are planning SJO > Monteverde > Manuel Antonio > Drake Bay > SJO.
Question! If we rent a car to drive from SJO > Monteverde and then drive Monteverde > Manuel Antonio then drive Manuel Antonio > Drake Bay. Can we leave our rental car in Sierpe? Or even in Manuel Antonio and then shuttle it to Sierpe? Since we are flying from Drake Bay to SJO when we leave.
Also, how many nights do you recommend in each of those three destinations? Our 9th night will be in a SJO hotel. Is there a SJO hotel that you recommend the most? right now we just made a quick reservation at Country Inn and Suites Radisson since it’s at airport and our flight leaves next morning at 6am!
Hi Jessica, If you’re flying back from Drake Bay after, it would be easiest to take a shuttle van from Manuel Antonio to Sierpe. If you’d like help reserving this, we book this route. Here’s a link to the page on our site with more info.
With 8 nights, we would do Monteverde 2 nights, Manuel Antonio 3 nights, Drake Bay 3 nights.
Here’s a link to our guide to the best hotels near SJO Airport. Terrazas de Golf is a small family-owned place and very close to the airport. Country Inn and Suites is fine too.
Hope that helps and you have a great trip!
Hi, Thanks for all the info that you are sharing. I am considering a late Sept to Early Oct trip to Santa Teresa. My wife and I will be there to surf ( beginner/Intermediate). I don’t mind rain but I don’t want it all day on most days. Also, should we expect that many restaurants and shops will be closed due to the off-season nature of the year? Should we maybe reconsider?
Hi Matt, It is hard to say what the weather will be like. Usually that time of year isn’t too bad for rain but it has been very rainy so far this year. Many businesses will close in late Sept./early October as well. It would be better to come during another time of year if you have the flexibility.
Hurricane Nate was October 2017. Not 2019. I was there during that hurricane
Hi Jeana, That was a typo. We were here too. We have lived in CR full-time for almost 9 years. We’ve corrected the date mistake, thanks.
Hi! We were just getting ready to book a last minute trip for May 10th – 14th but looking at the forecast calling for thunderstorms everyday ha me concerned. We definitely don’t want to be stuck in our room for 4 days. What are your thoughts? Our plan was to stay in Guanastane.
Hi Angel, The weather forecast is not accurate at all in Costa Rica. Here is a link to our Weather post with more explanation. This time of year, it doesn’t usually rain too much in Guanacaste. It’s mostly afternoon or evening storms; not bad at all.
Hello Jenn and Matt,
can you recommand a weather app or website for weather forecast in Costa Rica?
Thanks in advance and best regards,
Sonja
Hi Sonja, The weather apps are not accurate for Costa Rica. The best resource is the National Meteriogical Institute. Here is a link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/IMNCostaRica
We are celebrating our 50th anniversary and would like to be in Costa Rica the end of October until November 19. Wondering what would be better, the Pacific or Caribbean side better. Like the idea of beaches and bird watching, nature walks, and this is our first time in Costa Rica.
Hi Nina, That is a difficult time of year to visit. Either coast can get big tropical storms that time of year. You would be better off waiting a bit after your anniversary, until early December. If you don’t want to wait, we would do the southern Caribbean coast.
Hey Matt,
We are looking at going to Arenal and Tenorio volcanos before heading out to Tamarindo. Because I teach almost year round, we are limited to first week of August. How much rain are we to expect? Also not-weather related, (but you appear to know all the answers!), which hikes do you recommend that aren’t too difficult, but still gives you beautiful vistas, wildlife, waterfalls, etc. We have a few days. What about any that actually get us to hike up an actual volcano? This website has been great to help me plan 🙂
Thank you!
-Sally
Hi Sally, The weather should be pretty good in Arenal and Tenorio in early August. Those areas of the country have slightly different weather patterns. So Arenal typically sees less rain then than in December-March. The Tenorio area is quite rainy in general but I don’t think it’s worse that time of year.
For moderate hikes in those areas, you could do the Rio Celeste Waterfall, Heliconias in Bijagua (hanging bridges and pristine rainforest), and Arenal 1968 Trail or Mirador Elsilencio for something more off the beaten path.
Hikes up a volcano are not common here but there are some crater volcanoes you can peer into if conditions are right. These are Poas and Irazu.
My daughter wants to travel to Costs Rica for her 30th birthday. Problem is it’s July 1. I’m worried about rainy season and hurricanes at this time. Can you advise best areas to look at. She is adventurous so wants to hike, white water raft, zip line, etc. but also some beach time. Thanks for any advice you can give.
Hi Marcia, Early July isn’t a bad time to visit. That’s early on in rainy season and often it rains less during the first couple of weeks of July. Basically anywhere in the country should be fairly good in terms of weather.
Hello,
Me and my boyfriend plan on going to Costa Rica in early December. I would like to go to the Caribbean coast (Puerto Viejo area) but am worried a bit because it’s rainy season in that area. As I figured out the weather is not that bad but what about roads and driving? We’re from Croatia so we are used to narrow roads but… Thank you!
Hi Maja, It’s not really rainy season on the southern Caribbean in December. The Caribbean side has different weather patterns and more like 4 seasons (2 dry, 2 rainy). But really, in our experience, it’s never all that bad. We were in Puerto Viejo for about a month in December several years back and the weather was quite nice. Some rain, but just for short amounts of time.
Funny. The last two years we have seen incredible rains in November and December, so please help me understand how the wet season ends in November?
Hi Mick, We live in Costa Rica full-time (over 10 years now) so this is based on our experience and also weather data from the National Meteorological Institute. We usually say that the rainy season ends in general at the end of November, but it varies depending on the year (whether it’s La Nina or El Nino weather pattern) and where you are in the country. The rain definitely lessens once you are into December, though, most everywhere. Mid to late November has been rainy in recent years, yes.
Hi Matt and Jen,
Thinking about visiting Costa Rica in early September. Would you say it typically rains more the more inland you go? We are eyeing a place in Bagaces. Would love to hear your perspective on the rainy season, but more inland. Thank you!!!
Hi Jenny, Bagaces is in Guanacaste. That’s one of the drier areas of the country. You should be ok in early September.
Hi Matt and Jen, Got to tell you what a lift I get every time I get your newsletter. We are desperate to come back to Costa Rica and possibly to relocate there. But of course Covid has got in the way of everybody’s plans. My husband and I are retired, very keen naturalists/photographers, and we think that around Nuevo Arenal will be ideal. Do keep on going – I know a lot of us will be taking up your suggestions when we can travel again. Many thanks. Bookey Peek
Hi Bookey, That’s great to hear and gives us a boost right now during these tough Covid times. It’s always great to hear from our readers. Hope you can get back soon to do some more exploring for your retirement. It sounds like Nuevo Arenal would be a great fit for you. Pura vida!
I was worried about visiting during the rainy season when we went to Costa Rica during the first two weeks of August in 2019 and spent our time in the area around Uvita and mid-southern Pacific Coast, as well as Monteverde and Arenal. I was especially concerned about driving. We had NO problems and very little, if any, down time due to rain. The 4-wheel drive car we rented through Jenn and Matt’s connection was new and comfy and easy to handle and the rental company bent over backwards to make it easy for us. I’d recommend seeing Costa Rica at this time of year.
Hi Connie, Thanks for taking the time to let us know how it was for you traveling during rainy season. Glad it went well and you didn’t have any problems. And thank you so much for renting your car through our website. We appreciate it!